This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Nair, Billy

Nair was detained for the first time in 1952 for taking part in the defiance campaign.

He worked on New Age in the 1950s.

He was an executive member of the Natal Indian Congress and at the time of his arrest in 1964 was one of the deputy vice-presidents. He was a National Executive member and Natal secretary of SACTU and a District Committee member of the Communist Party. He served on the joint committees of the Indian Congress, ANC and SACTU.

He spent 20 years on Robben Island from 1964 to1984. On his release be became Deputy Chairman of the UDF in Natal and also a National Executive member of the UDF. He operated very quietly on the Communist Party, MK and ANC fronts.

He was arrested and detained in connection with Operation Vula in 1990.

After the 1994 elections Nair became a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly.